Lessons
by IMPhoenix
Summary: What if Megamind actually made a friend at the school when he was a child?  What effect might that have had on him?  Fits in with my "Redemption" AU/AR stories  but understandable without reading them .
1. New and Blue

**Lessons**

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><p><strong>Plot summary:<strong> What if Megamind actually made a friend at the school when he was a child? What effect might that have had on him? Fits in with my _Redemption_ AU/AR stories.

**Disclaimer:** I know that DreamWorks owns Megamind. It's not my fault that their alien keeps invading my brain and leaving ideas that I have to write about in order to to clear my mind.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1. New and Blue<strong>

The boy and the girl were sitting behind the bushes during recess, hiding from the other students.

The boy said, "Go ahead and touch it."

"What will it feel like?" the girl asked.

"Smooth and hard. Maybe a little … slick on the top. It tingles a little sometimes."

"Well…"

"Come on, you were the one who asked to touch it. You said you were curious. "

"There's no chance it might bite me? You said the top was permeable."

"I told you: It's a _he_, and he's smart. He controls the permeability. He would only bite if you threatened him or me."

"How can it-_he_ tell whether someone is a threat?"

"Because he's smart, smart as any hooman-"

"You mean _human_."

"Whatever. He pays attention to what people do, and their expressions. He understands what's said, not just by me, but anyone."

"I thought you said you have to put your hand on the top of the sphere to communicate with him."

"That's so _I _can hear _him_. Well, not exactly hear. The science behind it is kind of hard to explain. It's seems like telepathy but he communicates by a combination of sonar and neuroelectrical impulses."

"Could he talk to me, too?"

"I would suppose so, but no hooman—_human _has ever tried. Why don't we do an experiment and find out? Min, say something to her." Looking at the girl, he instructed, "Now put your hand on the top of the sphere."

Now she was really curious, which overrode any hesitation or nervousness. She did as he said.

"I see what you mean."

"You mean _feel_ what I mean."

She rolled her eyes. "It's just an expression."

"In the interest of science, tell me what you are experiencing."

"It does feel hard, and smooth, and it does feel sort of slick on the very top. But there's no tingling."

"Min, _say_ something to her."

Min closed his eyes, and rolled upside down. "Come on, Min. Don't be like that." But the fish stayed in the same position. "Sorry, he apparently doesn't want to cooperate."

The girl got a calculating look in her eye. She looked at the boy, and put a finger to her lips. The boy raised his eyebrows. She repeated the gesture, until the boy nodded.

Keeping her hand on the top of the sphere she said, "Well, I don't think he's smart at all. I think he's just a _stupid_ fish and you're just _lying_, making up stories."

Min's eyes popped open; he swirled to look at the girl, and moved his mouth. The girl heard in her head, _He's not lying_. "That's amazing," she gasped.

The boy looked at her with approval. "You really are clever. And now we know it works with hoomans—_humans_, too."

The teacher was ringing the bell, signaling the end of recess. As they got up to return to the classroom, the girl asked, "Can we spend next recess together again?"

The boy smiled shyly at her. "Yes, I'd like that."

The girl was glad she was no longer the newest student in the school. Even after being here two months, some of the kids still had made a big deal about it, calling her the 'newbie.' But she didn't understand why the other kids had a problem with the newest student. She thought the blue skin just made him interesting looking. And obviously the big head just went along with having a big brain. He was clearly very intelligent. That also made him interesting to her. She hoped the boy called Blue kept attending the school.

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><p><strong>Author Note<strong>: I know the communication technique is not 'canon,' but I wanted a way for Minion to be able to talk with Blue secretly in front of others.


	2. First Day

"**Lessons"**

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><p><strong>Author Note:<strong> The scene in chapter 1 just popped into my head. I decided the girl would be an original character- utilizing a throwaway one briefly mentioned in my story, "Redemption," in order that I could tie it into the universe of my other stories (instead of creating a new AU/AR with the girl being Roxanne). "Lessons" will be an AU/AR retelling of the school scenes from the movie, plus additional material.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2. First Day<strong>

(Three days earlier)

Blue was excited about going to the school, about the chance to be with other children, and to learn new things. But he was also anxious. At first the Warden said he couldn't take Min with him. That was a dilemma, because Min had to go everywhere with him: that was Min's rule. But he also _wanted_ Min with him. Min was the only one he completely trusted, and he knew that Min had ways of protecting him if there would be some kind of danger in the world outside the prison walls. He had never been outside the prison since arriving there all those years before. He wanted to go, but it also scared him. He wondered if he could somehow sneak the sphere out with him.

Min and he discussed it, and Min recommended telling the Warden that he wouldn't go without Min. It was Min's observation that the Warden really wanted the boy to go to the school, and they could use that as leverage. So the boy was told to play up the fear angle: tremble his lip a bit, open his eyes wide, and say he couldn't go without his only 'friend;' that he was scared about going out and being with all those strangers. And it worked. The boy was much smarter when it came to inventing and building things, but Min was much better at outsmarting the humans. This was because he was older, and because his entire focus since arriving on this planet was figuring out how to take care of and protect the child, which meant observing and understanding the beings with power in this world.

So the Warden had to explain to the teacher that the alien child had to take his pet fish with him to class, assuring her that the fish would be no trouble, and that the boy would not play with the fish and ignore his lessons or the teacher. The boy had promised to do everything the Warden had assured the teacher he would do, so long as Min could go with him.

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><p>He was both eager and nervous as he got off the prison bus and entered the little red building, holding Min's sphere tightly in his hands. It was embarrassing that the guards insisted on escorting him in chained handcuffs all the way to the entrance.<p>

Looking into the room, he was surprised to see a boy spinning a desk around and around in the air, an adult woman clinging to the top of it. He hadn't expected the Glaupunk kid to be here. It had to be him; no human child could be strong enough to do that.

While the guards undid Blue's restraints, the Glaupunk kid placed the desk back on the floor and the teacher crawled off of it, straightening her clothing. She stalked over to the prison boy and said sternly, "You're late. Don't let it happen again." Blue was perplexed. How was that his fault? The guards had left without a word; they had already told him they would be back at the end of the school day to retrieve him. He hoped they knew the proper time, since they apparently were misinformed about when school started.

The teacher had started to walk away from him. He stood silently, wondering what he should do. The women turned back and barked, "Well, come on." He quickly moved over to her. The teacher made him stand in front of the class while she introduced him. "This boy will be joining our school. His name is Blue." She said it like the name left a bad taste in her mouth. He felt on display. He smiled nervously, and some of the children smiled back, but most of them didn't. Finally she directed him to sit down in a chair at the back of the room. That was all right; he didn't like people being behind him. It made him uncomfortable.

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><p>At mid morning the teacher announced that Wayne (apparently the name of the Glaupunk kid) would be providing the class with a treat today.<p>

Blue watched the boy send his laser beam eyes upon the silver colored covered dish. Probably aluminum, he thought, based on the color and the quickness with which the white puffy kernels exploded out of it. He had eaten pop-ped corn in the prison, but there it was cooked in a paper bag in a microwave. The children all cheered and shouted like it was something special. A bunch of soft headed sycophants, he thought, disgruntled. Well, not all of the kids. That one girl didn't seem very impressed, although she caught and ate some popcorn like all the others.

He was glad when the break time finally came. The lessons largely seemed to alternate between boring, because he already knew what was being covered, and confusing, when the teacher spoke as though he should know all kinds of background information that was foreign to him. When the teacher announced "recess," all the children streamed out of the classroom, leaving him to follow more slowly. The children were all gathered in various groups, some of them already playing games he didn't understand, and some of them talking. Occasionally a few of the students glanced his way, but no one spoke to him. Blue wasn't sure what he should do. It seemed like the exercise period back at the prison. Holding the sphere, he wandered off to a place where he could watch the greatest number of students, and try and figure out how things worked here.

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><p>The Scott boy was trying to talk to her. Usually she found him fairly interesting. Since his parents were rich, he had traveled a lot, and had a lot of fascinating stories about places the family had visited. And he had been nice to her when she had started attending the school, talking to her, and introducing her to the other students. Initially she had been impressed with him and liked him a lot. But over time she found him increasingly annoying; he was just a little bit too full of himself. She supposed that having powers, like super strength, laser beam eyes, and the ability to fly, would tend to make a person feel "special." That and coming from a very wealthy family.<p>

Right now, her interest was on the new boy. Well, you could tell where the name came from. She found the color of his skin pretty, although maybe a boy wouldn't like to be referred to with that adjective. He'd been quiet today, except for that time he corrected the teacher. She wasn't sure if he was being a brat, or if he was right. That particular time he spoke in kind of an arrogant way, but also very confident. Hmm. People could be confident and not right. Case in point, the boy next to her now. She had written down what the new boy said, and would check it out when she got home. Fortunately, it was in the area of biology; her mother would know.

She wondered if the new boy had some kind of unique powers like the Scott boy. Wayne looked like a normal human, but clearly wasn't. Since arriving at the school, she wondered if Wayne was some kind of mutant, an alien from outer space, or the result of some weird genetic experiment. The new boy looked more like an alien. But you never knew what they could do with genetic engineering.

And what was the deal with the fish? No one else was allowed to bring a pet to school. Maybe he'd brought it for Show and Tell. Abruptly she realized that Wayne had stopped talking to her, and he was gazing at her with an expectant look. Oh no. What had he said? Her parents had warned her to be especially nice to him, and to not get on his bad side. "I'm sorry, my mind wandered. What was that?"

He looked a little put out. "I _said_ I'm trying to get together a group of kids to play kickball. Do you want to come and play?"

"Thanks, but no. I think I'll go talk to the new boy. Try to be welcoming." She hurriedly walked away before he could say anything else.

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><p>When Blue noticed the girl approaching him, his heart started to beat a little faster. Here it was: his first opportunity to actually talk to another kid. He didn't want to mess up. But he had no idea what to say. Quickly, he put his hand on the top of Min's sphere and whispered, "If she talks to me, what do I say?"<p>

_Say hi. Ask her name. Ask her what she thinks of the school. And what she normally does at recess._

After arriving next to him, and getting the word "hello" out of her mouth, the new boy suddenly spilled, "Hi. What's your name? What do you think of the school? What do you do at recess usually?"

The girl blinked at this sudden small barrage of questions, but assumed he was just nervous. She remembered being nervous her first day. "It's nice to meet you, Blue. My name is Cindy. I like the school pretty much. It's more challenging than the one I used to go to. I've only been here two months. At recess, well, I do different things on different days. Sometimes the kids play dodgeball, sometimes kickball. Some of us like to jump rope, and some kids bring card games to play. Some days I just talk with the other kids."

There was an awkward silence. Blue was hoping for more advice from Min, because his mind was blank. Cindy was trying to decide which of the many questions she wanted to ask would be considered polite enough for someone she had just met. "I see you brought your pet fish with you. What kind of fish is that?"

"He's not really a fi-" and then the boy got a distracted look at his eye. "I mean he's a piranha."

"A piranha? Really?"

The boy looked at the fish and said, "Maybe he'll open his mouth and show you his teeth." And surprisingly, the fish did just that.

"Wow, those are some really impressive teeth. Although the body shape looks different from the piranhas I've seen in the aquarium."

"Well, he's a very rare form of piranha."

"Where did you get it?"

"Ah, he was a present from my parents. I don't know where they got him from."

"So why did you bring it to school? Did you know it was Show and Tell today?"

"Shoe and Tall?"

"Show and Tell. Don't you know what Show and Tell is? Didn't they have that at your old school?"

"I've never been to school before."

"Oh, you were homeschooled?"

For some reason the boy was looking at the fish again. He looked up at her and said, "Yes."

"So why are you coming to school now?"

Why was he looking at the fish again? Maybe it was just something to look at instead of her. Maybe he was shy. He looked at her again. "They decided it would be good for me to have the chance to be with other children. I wanted it, too. There are no children where I live."

"No children?" She thought, _he'd come in a prison bus, chained to guards, his orange outfit says 'prisoner.' _Before she could censor her words, she blurted out, "Aren't you from some juvenile detention facility? Don't you live with other kids there?"

"No, I live in the City Prison."

"You _live _there?"

"All my life. Well, since my parents…died."

_How awful_, she thought. "I'm sorry." The boy just shrugged. Cindy wondered why a child would be kept in a prison for adults, but decided it was not polite to ask. She wasn't sure she should keep asking about this anyway. He already looked kind of sad. She should probably change the topic.

"But you never said: why did you bring your fish to school today?"

"It's the rule. He has to go with me everywhere."

"He has to?"

The boy nodded vigorously.

"Why does he have to?"

"Ah, he just does. It's the rule."

_Well, that makes no sense_, the girl thought.

Min suggested it was time to change the topic of conversation. Blue decided to test the girl's attitude toward the Glaupunk kid. Trying to appear casual and unconcerned, Blue asked what she thought of Wayne and his pop-ped corn.

"You mean _popcorn_."

"Whatever. What did you think of what he did with the pop-ped, I mean-_popcorn_?

"It was _kind of_ impressive. Most kids just bring something to share when it's their turn for treat day. He turned it into a show. And I like popcorn OK."

"I don't understand what the big deal was. Anyone can make pop-ped-_popcorn,_" he said dismissively. "It's nothing special."

"Well, it may be an everyday snack. But the _way_ he made it was the special part. It was the 'presentation.' Anyone can make popcorn with a microwave. But making it with a laser beam is what's unique."

"He was still showing off," Blue said with irritation.

"Well, yeah, that's what Scotty always does."

"I thought his name was Wayne."

"Oh." The girl colored slightly. "I should be more careful about that. Scotty is what I call him in my head. That and 'the Scott boy.' He's rather a show off all the time." She paused. "Well, that's not really fair; not all the time. But a lot."

"So you agree he was showing off?"

"Oh, of course."

Blue felt satisfied. She agreed with him about the Glaupunk kid. Hmm. Presentation. "I bet I could make pop-ped corn-_popcorn- _with a laser beam, too. I may not have laser beam eyes, but I could make a _machine _with a laser beam that could do the same thing."

The girl said, "That would be something to see."

The bell for the end of recess was ringing. The boy looked at her and asked, "I guess that means we go back in, right?"

"Yes. I hope we get more time to talk later."

The boy smiled at her, and said, "Me, too."

When he got back to the prison, he would immediately start work on a laser powered pop-ped - no, _popcorn _maker.

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><p><strong>Author Note:<strong> Thanks to nineteennintytwo for beta reading, and to my other reviewers: Shakka DV, VampsMoonAngel, sakiko of soleana, Cloaked Irken and rmroxs. Reviews and feedback are appreciated.


	3. Names

**"Lessons"****  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 3. Names<strong>

(Second day at school)

When recess was announced, Wayne was by her chair before she barely stood up. "So, Cindy, some of us planned to play dodgeball today. Would you like to play, too?"

"Ah, thanks Wayne, but I already promised the new boy I'd spend recess with him. You were so welcoming to me when I was new. I thought I'd follow in your footsteps." She hurried away thinking, _Gah! I can't believe I said that._ She didn't notice Wayne frowning after her.

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><p>She went up to Blue and asked if he wanted to hang out.<p>

"Ha-hang out?"

"Spend recess together and talk. But if you wanted to play with some of the other kids-"

"No, I would like to _hang out_ with you."

They went off out of earshot of the other kids, sitting in the shade of some shrubs. She asked what he thought of today's lessons. The math and science parts were boring; he already knew everything the teacher covered. The other subjects were not as dull, but a little confusing. He had very little background in social studies or language arts. He had concentrated only on the things that were interesting to him when he studied on his own, once his uncles had taught him the basics of reading and math.

"If you have trouble with any of the subjects, I can help, if you like," she offered. He thanked her, as Min directed him. He didn't know yet if he would need assistance, but thought she was trying to be nice.

Once the conversation ground to a halt, Cindy wondered if it would be too impolite to ask some of the numerous questions spinning in her mind. Finally the silence and her curiosity overwhelmed her manners. She decided to just admit it. "I'm really curious about you. But I don't want to be intrusive, or impolite, or hurt your feelings. Could I ask a few questions, and you just tell me if you don't want to answer them? You can ask whatever you want about me, if you like."

Blue was feeling a little hesitant, but he liked that the girl seemed to want to spend time with him. He looked pointedly at Min, who suggested, _Let her ask. You can just refuse to answer if we decide it's too personal or too secret_.

"Alright," he said, "what do you want to know?"

"Why is your skin blue? It's a nice color," she hastened to add, "but it's …unusual."

"Because my parents had blue skin. All my people did. Unlike you Earth people, who come in many different shades."

"So you _are _from another planet?"

"Yes."

"Why are you on Earth? Why did you leave your planet?"

Min suggested this questioning was heading in a dangerous direction. Blue decided to ignore him. It was the first time anyone has seemed so interested in him. But the boy asked the girl, "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"I promise, absolutely."

"My parents sent me to Earth to save my life. Our planet was being sucked into a black hole. That's why my parents are dead. The Glau-_Wayne_ was sent away from his planet, too, for the same reason, the same black hole. But his space pod ended up at the Scott mansion, while mine landed in the prison. That's why I live there." Blue shifted his hand away from the contact point on the sphere. Min's protests of _You're _s_haring too much information!_ were distracting.

"Wayne is an alien? But he doesn't look anything like you."

He shrugged. "Different planet, different species."

"So do you have any special powers like he does?"

"Well, not like his. I can't fly, or shoot laser beams from my eyes, and I'm not especially strong."

"But are you saying you _do_ have a special power?"

"Sort of. My intellect. My people are much more intelligent - have more _brain power -_ than his people or Earth people."

"So, you know Wayne then?" Cindy inquired.

Blue shook his head. "Not really. I got a look at him when our space pods passed each other on the way to Earth." He thought about adding the part about how the other boy's pod knocked his out of the trajectory to the Scott mansion, but decided it would sound like whining, so he didn't. "I've never seen him again until I came here."

"I haven't seen him try to talk to you since you got here. Has he?" Blue shook his head. "I wonder why."

Blue shrugged. "He probably doesn't remember me. My people have better memories than his do. I was 8 days old. I'm not sure how old he is compared to me."

"You remember things from when you were that young? That's incredible. "

"It is?"

"Oh yes. Humans rarely remember anything before 3 or 4 years old."

"Hmm." Blue wasn't sure how to respond to that. Everything he thought to say might sound insulting to this human girl with her limited memory.

"This is all so fascinating. Thanks for telling me. I _will_ keep your secret. I promise." He had shared more than she expected. It only seemed fair to offer him something in return. "Did you want to ask me anything?"

"Tell me about your home, and your family."

"It's really not that interesting."

"It would be interesting to me."

So the girl spoke about her parents, about the twins (a brother and sister four years younger than she), their house with the small back yard, the garden and the swing set, and her pet cat, Mittens. Talking about her pet prompted her to ask, "Does your fish have a name?"

"Yes, his name is Min."

"Does the name 'Min' mean something?"

"What… are you asking?"

"Well, like your name is 'Blue,' which I'm guessing refers to the color of your skin."

"Yeah, so."

"And my cat is called Mittens because her two front paws are white, while the rest of her is black. I thought it made her look like she was wearing mittens."

"Uh-huh?'" He still wasn't sure what the girl was getting at.

"So is Min short for some longer name, or does it mean something in the language of your people?"

"Oh, Min is a nackname-"

"You mean, nickname."

"Whatever. His real name is Minion, but some of the adults in the prison made fun of me for calling him that, so I shortened it, and they stopped bugging me about it."

"Why is your fish named Minion?"

"That's what my mother said to me when she gave him to me: '_Here is your Minion_.'"

It was at this point that Min gave him a mild shock. Blue almost dropped the sphere. He swiftly placed it on the ground. He knew now that Min was angry with him, and he would pay for this later. But he was enjoying having the girl's attention.

Cindy was puzzled by the boy's expression, and the swiftness with which he put down the sphere he had held continually last recess. "Are you OK?" she asked.

"I'm fine. Any other questions?"

"Yesterday you said your fish was a piranha. You just said your mother gave you the fish. If you were sent here from another planet, does that mean it isn't really a piranha?"

His cheeks turning faint lavender, Blue admitted, "I'm sorry I told you that. But I had just met you-"

She hastened to assure him, "No, I completely understand. I can see why you wouldn't want to start your first day at a new place sharing… this kind of stuff. So, you said your fish is called Minion. Doesn't minion mean a follower or servant of a person in power? Is your fish supposed to be some kind of servant to you?" Cindy asked skeptically. She was having trouble imaging how a fish could do anything that would be considered a service, but if he was an _alien _fish….

Blue explained, "Minion also means one who is highly esteemed or favored. But Min is the one who translated the word my mother used from our language into your human language. Min says that the name in our language is a title, and refers to a caretaker and protector of children, but the minion becomes a kind of subordinate or helper to the child when the child becomes an adult."

"So are you supposed to become a powerful person that Min will help or serve when you're a grownup?"

"Yes. I will use my genius to become powerful by inventing amazing ….inventions."

"What kind of inventions?"

"I don't know. Maybe weapons. Weapons would make me powerful, protect me and Min from anyone who tried to hurt us."

"You could also make things that would help people."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Helping people is good. My parents help people. My mother is a doctor is a clinic that serves the poor, and my father is an attorney for people who can't afford one."

"Protecting people would be good, too, right? So if my weapons protected other people, that would be good, right?"

"I suppose so. And how is Min a protector or caretaker to you now?"

Blue glanced down at Min rolling around in an agitated manner at his feet. "That's one of those questions I'm not supposed to answer. Min already thinks I'm sharing too much."

"Oh, sorry. I understand. I don't mean to be nosy. I just find you interesting."

She wasn't completely sure she believed everything the boy said- it was all so incredible. But, if he was an alien - and he certainly looked like one- all sorts of things could be true about him and his fish. Cindy was wondering how he knew what the fish thought, when he asked, "So does your name mean something?"

"Well, Cindy is a nickname; it's short for Cynthia."

"So what does Cynthia mean?"

She blushed slightly. "It sounds sort of silly... It means goddess of the moon. I don't like the meaning of the name, but I kind of like the way the name sounds. And my parents didn't pick the name for its meaning. I'm named after my grandmother who died before I was born. My parents call me Cindy, so that's what everyone else calls me. But when I'm older, I'm going to select my own name. I'm going to tell everyone to call me Cynthia, unless I choose something else entirely, like Elizabeth or Isabella. I actually like those better than my own name."

"You get to pick your own name when you're an adult?"

"Yes. You can even change it legally."

"Well, when I'm older, I'm going to choose a really impressive name and make everyone call me that, something that tells everyone how ingenious I am. Superbrain or Ultramind….or something like that."

"You should do that if you want to, but I kind of like your current name: Blue. It's my favorite color."

"It sounds OK when you say it. But sometimes when other people say it, it sounds like they're making fun of me."

"I know what you mean."

Suddenly a head appeared over the bushes. "So, _Blue, w_hat are you and Cindy doing back there?"

The girl piped up, "None of your beeswax, Jacob. Why do you need to know? "

"Just curious."

"So how will you deal with the disappointment of not knowing?" Blue shot back. Jacob just frowned.

"Did Wayne send you over to ask?" Cindy challenged him.

His face reddening, he stammered "N-no, of course not."

"Hmm, thought so. Tell him next time, if he's so curious, to come ask for himself. Come on, Blue. Let's go. Getting crowded around here."

As she dragged Blue away, she commented, "I probably shouldn't have said that. Now he might actually start bugging us himself instead of sending one of his groupies. Huh, talk about minions. Scotty has practically the whole class acting like they're his."

"I know," said Blue darkly.

They were walking past a group of students when the words were thrown out, not loudly, but enough to be heard clearly: "There goes the freak." Then, a moment later, someone added, "and his little freakette," followed by laughter.

Cindy felt the burning in her cheeks, but told Blue, "Ignore them; they're just idiots...and mean."

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><p><strong>Author Note:<strong> Thanks to nineteennintytwo for beta reading, and to my other chapter 2 reviewers, VampsMoonAngel, Cloaked Irken, and Shakka DV. It's always nice to get feedback.

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	4. Failure

**"Lessons"****  
><strong>

**Chapter 4. Failure **

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><p>Blue and Cindy began to spend all their lunch and recess periods together. He demonstrated how Min's sphere worked, and told her a little bit about his life in the prison, and about the uncles who took care of him when he was younger. By unspoken agreement, neither suggested they try to join in with the groups of students playing games like kickball or dodgeball. She showed him how to play several different card games (Crazy Eights, Speed and Gin Rummy), so they would have something to do during recess besides talk. In return, Blue taught her games he had learned from his uncles (Poker and Blackjack).<p>

Min continued to complain that Blue was too trusting, sharing too much personal information, but his protests diminished as the days went by. This was partially because the girl did seem to be trustworthy after all, but also because Blue was sharing much less about himself, as the two kids moved on to safer topics, like talking about their schoolwork, books they had read, and Blue's ideas for inventions.

Cindy didn't want to completely ignore her old friends, and invited Blue to sit with them and her during lunch. During those times he stayed quiet, and as far as he could tell by the comments of the other students, the girl had shared none of his secrets with them. Her friends didn't speak much to him, but were at least polite to him, and not overtly rejecting.

At least, that's what her friends did at first. Then Jamie and Chris began to make vague excuses for why they couldn't eat lunch with her and Blue. Finally, when Cindy was pressing for a clearer explanation, Chris just told her straight out. "Look, I know you say Blue is your friend, and that he's nice and interesting to talk to. But most of the other kids think he's just too strange, and, you know, weird. I talked to Jamie and we decided, well, we just don't want the others to paint us with the same brush."

"What do you mean?"

"We don't want trouble. And if you know what's good for you, you'll keep your distance from him, too."

"You're going to let what others think decide who you sit with?"

"He's your friend, not mine. And to be completely honest, he makes me a little uncomfortable."

"I can't believe you care that he looks …different."

"I could probably get used to the blue skin and the big head. No, it's that he's some kind of juvenile delinquent. He comes to school in handcuffs and with guards, in case you didn't notice. He must have done something really bad. He's probably dangerous." Cindy opened her mouth to protest, not knowing what she could say that wouldn't betray Blue's secrets. But Chris cut her off. "No, we've made up our minds. You do what you want. But we're out of it."

Cindy was bewildered, hurt, and a little bit mad. This wasn't fair- it wasn't _right_. But there was nothing she could do about it. She didn't want to hurt Blue's feelings, so she didn't mention why it was just the two of them at lunch. But Blue noticed. He didn't need to ask; the reason was obvious to him. He didn't bring it up either.

* * *

><p>Finally his laser popcorn maker was ready. He asked the teacher if he could make popcorn to share with the other students, like Wayne had. She agreed, but grudgingly, as though she was annoyed with him for asking.<p>

He was nervous standing in front of the class, the remote control in his hands. But he told himself the other students might like him and want to spend time with him if they could see how brilliant he was, and that he could be just as amazing as the Glaupunk kid.

It started out well. The robot body holding Min's sphere began to walk around like it was supposed to, and the laser emitter projected out of the robot's chest as designed. But when the beam hit the ears of corn in the pot, instead of popping into fluffy white kernels, the corn burst into flame. Horrified, Blue kept hitting the controls on the remote, desperate to repair the situation, but not knowing how. The Glaupunk kid flew up, sucked in the flames and extinguished the fire. Blue had barely registered his embarrassment over the failure of his invention, and Wayne being his rescuer, when he felt the boy grab his collar and fly him over to the quiet time corner. It was infuriating. The teacher hadn't even directed Wayne to do this, but she thanked him as soon as it was done. And to add a further insult, she gave him a gold star on his shirt for his actions.

When recess was announced, Blue stormed out of the room before anyone else could leave, clutching Min's sphere to his chest. He wanted to find a place to hide so no one could see the humiliation and the shame on his face, or the tears in his eyes that he was _not_ going to shed. He didn't want to deal with Wayne's smug looks, rubbing it in that he was better than Blue.

* * *

><p>Chris intercepted Cindy as she went to look for Blue, saying, "Told you he was dangerous." Cindy just ignored the remark and began her search.<p>

Eventually she tracked him down. There just weren't that many places to hide in the school yard. He was sitting curled up, his knees to his chest, arms wrapped around his legs, and his forehead on his knees, hiding his face. The sphere was on the ground, rocking slightly, bumping over and over into Blue. She sat down next to him. After a moment she suggested, "I think Min wants your attention."

His muffled voice replied, "Don't want to talk with him."

"Why not?"

"He'll just say things like I shouldn't care. Or that I should have done more testing before a public display of my invention."

"Hmm." She was silent for a moment.

He asked, "So why are you here?"

"To see if I can help."

"Help how?

"I don't know. Whatever way you need me to help. It's what friends do for each other."

He didn't know how to respond to that.

After more silence, she offered," I thought the robot was clever. And I was amazed by how powerful your laser was."

"_Too_ powerful," came his muted response.

"Yeah, you're probably right." She added, "I thought it wasn't fair, you being punished for …what happened. You didn't do it on purpose."

He raised his head, fury on his face. "No, it wasn't," he exclaimed harshly. "And _Wayne, _acting like he's a teacher too, deciding when someone needs to be punished." Once he started, it was hard to stop. "And the _teacher_- she lets him get away with it! That woman doesn't like me." And then Blue called her a really bad word. Cindy's eyes widened. She'd never heard him talk like that before. "She's not even giving me a chance. I think she's had it in for me from the beginning. And the other kids won't talk to me- except to make fun of me, or call me names.

She didn't know quite what to say. "I'm…sorry. I don't know why they act like that." She tentatively offered, "_I_ like you."

His face softened, and he looked down again. "Thanks," he mumbled.

Cindy felt a bump against her foot. She glanced toward the ground, and saw Min in his sphere, his eyes on her. Hesitantly, she put her hand on the top of the sphere and heard in her head, _Thank you._

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note:<strong> Thanks to nineteennintytwo for beta reading, and to my other chapter 3 reviewers, VampsMoonAngel, Cloaked Irken, Karen B. Jones and sakiko of soleana . It's always nice to get feedback.

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	5. Games

**"Lessons"**

**Chapter 5. Games**

* * *

><p>"You brought a <em>weapon <em>to school? You could get in big trouble for that," warned Cindy.

They were hiding behind the bushes again.

Blue explained, "It doesn't cause any permanent damage. It's a dehydration gun. It takes out all the water molecules of an object or living thing and puts the object or living thing in a kind of stasis. You just add water afterward, and the thing goes back to its original shape. I've tested it repeatedly, even on Min, and proved that it's totally safe."

"You tested it on _Min_?"

"Only after I _knew _it was safe."

"What if the teacher asks about it?"

"I'll just say it's a water pees-tal."

"Pistol."

"Yeah, one of those, a water _pistol_."

"…Was that meant to be a joke?"

"Yes…. Was it any good?"

" Well, not exactly funny, but a kind of clever play on words: dehydration gun, water pistol. I get it. Anyway, the teacher still might take it away, even if she thinks it's a toy gun."

"Then I'll just have to make sure she doesn't see it."

"Why did you bring it?"

"I didn't want to leave it at the prison. I just finished making it, and I was afraid the guards might confiscate it if they found it while I was away. And I wanted to show it to you."

"So show me what it can do."

They wandered around discreetly, Blue shooting various plants, and even a squirrel. Cindy carried her water bottle from her lunch, so they could rehydrate everything afterward. He puffed up when she told him how impressive it was. "I like that it doesn't kill like a real gun."

He decided not to tell her that he planned to add other functions to the gun some day, and one of them might include killing. _You never know what you might need to protect yourself._

* * *

><p>(Next day)<p>

The teacher pulled her aside as soon as recess started. "Now dear, you really shouldn't keep the new boy all to yourself. You should let him mingle with the other students so he can get to know them, too."

Cindy wondered why she was getting this directive, but just answered, "Yes, Ma'am."

She hurried off to join Blue, waiting for her right outside the schoolroom door.

Blue looked puzzled once she'd explained what the teacher said. "Why would she say that to you? I haven't noticed anyone else asking to talk to me or inviting me to play?"

"I don't know." Cindy looked around the school yard. "Would you like to try playing one of the games."

"I suppose." But he didn't sound very enthusiastic. He added, "I'm not sure anyone else wants me to join their game." After a pause, he added, "I suppose you could get in trouble if we go off by ourselves again. So what should we do?"

"Well, we could go watch some of the other kids play. Or we could ask to join a game?"

Suddenly, Wayne flew over. "I'm putting together a group for dodgeball. Would you two like to play?"

Glancing over at Blue to gauge his reaction, she noted he just shrugged. Cindy answered, "Sure."

"Great," responded Wayne, and he flew back to the group of kids already gathered. Blue and Cindy followed behind him.

Blue was feeling anxious. He supposed he should be happy about being included, but he wasn't sure about this change in treatment from Wayne. He wondered how the other students would react to him. He also wasn't sure he could play the unknown game, and he didn't want to look stupid. Cindy offered to hold Min's sphere to protect it, while Blue participated in the game. Blue rejected her offer because he knew Min could take care of himself. He found a safe place to put Min's sphere, where Min could observe, but not be accidentally kicked.

Wayne, as usual, organized the teams, while Cindy hurriedly explained the rules to Blue. "You throw the balls to try and hit members of the other team. If you get hit, you have to sit out the rest of the round. If you catch a ball that's thrown at you, the thrower has to sit out. Once all the players on one team are knocked out, the other team wins."

Blue and Cindy were placed on opposing teams, but both made an effort to not target the other. In the first round, it didn't take long for Blue to be hit and knocked out of game. As the rounds progressed, he got better at throwing the ball to hit the opposing team members, and particularly good at avoiding the thrown balls.

While the game was going on, one of the students who was knocked out early went to examine the globe holding the strange blue boy's fish. He didn't intend to hurt it, but he was curious. As soon as his fingers touched the glass he got a shock, not enough to hurt much, but it sure startled him. He swore the fish looked him in the eye with an expression half reproving, half self satisfied. He must be imagining it.

When recess was over they walked back to the schoolroom. "So, what did you think?" Cindy asked Blue.

"It was alright. Better when I wasn't getting hit so soon."

"I was impressed how fast you improved. In fact, you were rather good at the end. You're quick on your feet."

"Thanks. " He paused, then added, "but I'd rather talk to you than play that game."

"Me too."

* * *

><p>The next day, Wayne invited all the students to play dodgeball. Blue and Cindy felt like they really had no choice but to agree, given the teacher's comment. But this time, Wayne announced they would be playing a new version of the game. There would be two teams, with the team captains choosing their members in turn. When there was one player left, that person would be <em>It<em>, and would stand up in front of the school house wall. All the other players would throw their balls at _It,_ and the teams would get points for hitting _It_. Wayne, of course, would be one captain, and he selected one of his best friends for the other. Once it was down to the last few students not chosen, Blue had a suspicion about who would be left as _It._

Watching Blue standing up in front of the wall, Cindy thought this was a strange version of the game. _And why are we all going along with Wayne's idea?_ She hated that she had to include herself in this judgment_._ Blue had seemed fast yesterday, but he didn't have a chance with the barrage of balls. Cindy made sure to throw her ball wide away from him. But it hardly mattered. He was down on the ground in minutes. Some of the kids were obviously taking too much pleasure in what was happening, calling him freak and weirdo.

Wayne magnanimously offered to be _It_ for the next round. Of course no one could hit him. That 'round' went until the end of recess.

Walking back toward the school house, Blue muttered to her, "I think this was a set-up, and the teacher is in on it. That's why she told you what she did."

"Really? That doesn't sound like something a teacher would do." But the more she thought about it, the more sense it seemed to make.

Cindy thought it was apparent that Wayne was picking on the new boy. What was his problem? The Scott boy was clearly the most popular boy in the small school. All the other kids looked up to him. Why did he need to treat Blue that way? The whole thing just wasn't fair.

* * *

><p>Blue worried that this game was going to be continued on the next school day. Fortunately he had the weekend to come up with a strategy. Adapting an invention he already had in the planning stages, he designed and made a force field projecting helmet for protection. It just worked <em>too well<em>.

* * *

><p>Afterward, they talked about the dodgeball incident. Cindy offered, "I know you just made it to protect yourself. I thought it was really clever, the way you made a helmet that not only protected your head but the rest of your body too."<p>

"But it got me into trouble."

"I still don't think your punishment was fair. You couldn't help how the balls bounced off it."

"Well, the force field did amplify the velocity of the balls on the rebound, but I didn't mean for them to break anything or hurt anyone. It was bad enough that one ball broke a window in the school and another almost hit the teacher- allthoughI'm not so sorry about that one. But one of them ricocheted all the way to the prison and hit the Warden. That's what always happens. No matter how hard I try, I constantly get in trouble. I mean for my inventions to do good things, but they always cause destruction, or havoc or mayhem."

She tried to make a little joke about it. "Maybe you _will_ be good at making weapons." He still looked disgruntled. "Are you mad at me about something?"

"You threw the balls too," he accused.

"And I missed you every time- on purpose."

"….I noticed," he said grudgingly, "… but why did you throw them like the other kids?"

"I told you before. My parents said I have to get along with Wayne because of my scholarship from the Scott foundation; I need it to attend the school. I didn't want to stand out and be the only one not throwing. I'm sorry- I'm sorry that I'm not strong enough to stand up to him."

"…It's OK, I guess. At least you said you were sorry. You're the only one who has. "

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note<strong>: Thanks as usual to nineteennintytwo for beta reading, and to the chapter 4 reviewers Karen B. Jones and VampsMoonAngel. Always nice to get feelback.

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	6. Endings

"**Lessons"**

**Chapter 6. Endings**

* * *

><p>Blue had been taken for 'quiet time' in the corner by Wayne again. It was mortifying –and <em>infuriating<em>. The teacher never even gave him a chance to walk there by himself, just signaling to her "pet" to enforce the discipline.

The anger and resentment that had been simmering inside him for weeks suddenly boiled over. _It_ _wasn't fair_. He kept trying to be good, to get along, to follow the rules. If he was going to be labeled 'bad' no matter what he did, he might as well be the best 'bad' there was. He would show them. Fuming, he noticed the various chemical products on the shelf within his view. He checked behind him. The teacher and all the students looked preoccupied with the lesson. He slowly stepped closer, until the containers were in reach. Examining the ingredient lists, he visualized the various chemical compounds in his head, and how each might interact with the other. He estimated the proper proportions. _Yes, that should work._

* * *

><p>Cindy was trying to keep her mind on the teacher's words, but it was difficult. Her thoughts kept straying back to Blue; she worried about him, but felt powerless to do anything to help. He'd gotten in trouble again for something trivial (pointing out the teacher's math error in that impatient tone he unwisely used).<p>

Suddenly there was an explosion, and the room was filled with smoke- blue smoke. She closed her eyes instinctively, and heard the sound of people coughing, including herself. She finally opened her eyes slightly and saw the smoke beginning to clear. Looking around, she observed that everyone had smudges of blue on them, on their skin and their clothes. How had this happened? Oh. Of course.

There he was in the back of the room, arms folded, leaning against the wall. The look on his face was defiant - and _smug_. There were blotches of blue on his orange jumpsuit, but who could tell if there were any on _his_ skin? At first she was shocked-how could he do this?

Then she told herself she should have expected something like this. How could he not retaliate, after all he had been through at the school? The kids, following Wayne's lead in rejecting him, or calling him names. Even the teacher, who acted like she either disapproved of him or was afraid of him, when she wasn't ignoring him.

The teacher immediately called the prison, asking for the staff to come get him. She set Wayne to stand guard over him, to make sure he didn't run away or do anything else. But that was unnecessary. He had no intention of running away. Where could he go? The prison was his only home, and he and Min didn't know enough to survive in the outside world. And doing anything else? No reason to. He'd made his point.

Predictably, he was expelled from the school. Cindy knew that what he had done was his decision, but _she_ felt guilty. Like she should have seen the plan forming in his eyes, and stopped him somehow. Or maybe, if she had stood up to the Scott boy, instead of doing what her parents told her, worrying about herself and her scholarship- instead of being a _coward_- it might have changed things for Blue. But most of all, she was sorry she didn't try to talk to him one last time, to tell him that she still wanted to be his friend. She could have asked him if she could come visit him in the prison, or if they could write to each other. Years later she felt guilty for not trying harder to contact him afterwards. Maybe it would have made some kind of difference in his life, in his choices. Perhaps she had done nothing for him in the short time she had known him, but he had changed her. She had learned she couldn't feel good about herself unless, when she saw people in need, she was brave and unselfish enough to help them.

* * *

><p>He looked back as the prison bus drove away, watching the Glaupunk kid pick up the schoolhouse and carry it away. He felt a sense of satisfaction that he had surprised everyone, and that he had left his trademark color on all of them. They had rejected him; now they would have to take a bit of him away with them, whether they wanted to or not.<p>

Then he thought of the girl; she hadn't rejected him. She had reached out to him, showed an interest in him, and even made sympathetic comments. He waivered. She had thrown the balls like the others. But, he reminded himself, she intentionally missed, and apologized afterwards. And as much as admitted she was afraid of retaliation from Wayne. Really, this was _all his_ _fault_: Mr. Goody Two-Shoes, orchestrating the bullying, and the rejection. He had all the other kids in his thrall, and then tried to take away even the one friend Blue had. He had thought their rivalry had started when the Glaupunk kid's space pod knocked his off course from landing at the mansion. He might have forgiven that, accepted it as unintentional. But not this, not what happened here. He would _never_ forgive this. He would get him back somehow, someday. He would make him pay. If he learned nothing else from school, he had learned this: most humans were not to be trusted, and Wayne Scott was his enemy.

Would there ever be another person who would look beyond his appearance, try to get to know him as a person, accept him for himself? He pushed the thought away; that way just led to disappointment. The anger was a surer path to purging the hurt and humiliation. He would focus on his rivalry, on the inventions he would make to defeat the Glaupunk kid, and on being the best "bad" he could be. _That _was his destiny.

* * *

><p>(Many years later…)<p>

The dreams were rare, and always happened when he was in prison. He had read that humans sometimes had nightmares about school long into adulthood. But theirs were usually about being late for class, being unprepared for an exam, or being lost in the school. His were never like that.

His dreams of school were usually of the moments he felt humiliated or rejected: the name calling, the dodgeball incident, the popcorn fiasco- and all those times in the quiet time corner. But occasionally the dreams were about the few good memories: the look in her eye when the girl was impressed by something he had made or done; the pleasure she expressed in sharing his company during recess; the talks when she listened with interest to what he had to say. But remembering the girl who had acted like a friend to him, any pleasure he felt was followed by the sense of loss. Still, for a short time during the dreams, he did feel happy. He would enjoy the sensation for just an instant upon awakening, before becoming annoyed with himself for wasting mental energy on childish fantasies, on pointless, futile aspirations. Then he would bury all those memories and feelings again, lock them away, and try to forget them.

But this dream was unusual. It had started as a memory: showing the girl how Minion's sphere worked, the transmission of his thoughts by touching the top. Both their hands were on the sphere, and he had taken her hand to show her just where to put it. No, that hadn't happened. He hadn't showed her; he had just told her what to do. That's when it had stopped being memory. He was looking at the sphere, seeing one of his hands beneath the globe, the other hand placed on hers as it rested on the contact place, blue atop pale beige. He raised his eyes to look into hers… but it wasn't the girl from school anymore. Roxanne's blue eyes looked into his; her hands were holding the sphere with his, her hand beneath his. She smiled at him- open, accepting, expectant. He wanted to fall into those eyes…

And awoke in a daze. He didn't want to think what the dream might mean. Roxanne- _Miss Ritchi- _meant _nothing _to him. She was just the bait for luring her boyfriend, Metro Man: his rival, his nemesis. He did _not_ want her to be his friend, a replacement for the childhood one he had lost…. Although he rather liked the concept of stealing her from Metro Man. Payback- that would be satisfying. Tempting- No! The idea was ridiculous_- impossible_. There must be no distraction from his purpose- his destiny.

* * *

><p>When she saw the first news reports, she knew it was him. Of course, who else could it be, looking like that, with the blue skin and huge head? Others might have felt angry or terrified watching the coverage. She just felt sad. She never told anyone about briefly being friends with him as a child, or about the feeling she had that the brilliant, wounded child was still somewhere inside him. She had a recurring fantasy of being Luke Skywalker to his Darth Vader, begging him to remember the good inside him. It was insane. She even came up with a plan. She would create a fictitious name, pretend to be a reporter, and try to get permission from the Warden to interview him in prison. And then, when she would get to see him face-to-face... what? What could she say? It wasn't just that she couldn't imagine what argument she could use to convince him to turn from his criminal behavior. It was that she was afraid- afraid that if she <em>got<em> the chance to look into his bright green eyes, she would see no trace of Blue there anymore. And if that happened- she barely admitted it to herself- she was frightened of drawing the villain's attention to her. Would it lead to a threat to her, to her family? Would he recognize her, and be angry with her, for not being a better friend to him all those years ago?

Later she came up with a new crazy plan. When it was clear that Megamind (the impressive name he'd given himself to remind everyone of his genius) was kidnapping the same reporter over and over, she thought of contacting Roxanne Ritchi, offering her own story in exchange for any insights that Miss Ritchi might offer in return, something Miss Ritchi might have learned spending so much time in Megamind's presence. But somehow it seemed like a betrayal of her friend, Blue, and she couldn't do it.

It turned into a kind of obsession with her. She hid it from everyone, even her husband. She had newspaper and magazine clippings of the battles between Megamind and Metro Man, and recordings of the television news reports. She only looked at her collection when no one was around. How could she explain this preoccupation? She read any books that had anything about Megamind, although she found little written there that she trusted as the truth. When eventually her husband discovered her little collection by accident, he teased her about being a Metro Man fangirl. She had just blushed and extracted a promise from him that he would tell no one. It was easier to let him think that (Ugh!) than admit the truth. She knew who Metro Man had been as a child, and never got over her resentment toward him-not that she could show it to anyone. Who would understand?

She didn't know what she could do for Blue, how she could help the boy who had been her friend- if he even existed anymore. But she didn't completely give up hope. She did the only thing she could: she prayed for him, prayed that God would send a person into his path who could be a kind of angel for him, to help him rediscover his potential for goodness. If that was supposed to be her destiny, if she had been meant for that task, she had failed. Maybe someday, someone else would succeed.

* * *

><p><strong>EPILOGUE<strong>

(More years later)

She was surprised to receive the phone call from Roxanne Ritchi, inquiring as to her willingness to be interviewed by the reporter about her experiences with the child who grew up to be Megamind. She remembered the old plan, never attempted, to offer an exchange of information with the journalist, and agreed to meet.

They were sitting in a booth in a restaurant frequently used by Roxanne for such meetings. The staff knew to seat her and her guest far from the other patrons so they would not be overheard. Roxanne was explaining, "I'm the co-author of a book that's being written about Megamind. I'm doing research about his past, including his childhood. As I mentioned, I got your name from the school records."

"I've read a lot of books about Megamind, or maybe I should say _supposedly_ about him. I've never found anything that appeared to have a lot of truth in it. It's mostly conjecture and lies as far as I could tell. I don't want my story, my information, to be associated with another publication like that."

"Exactly. What we want to publish is the truth, so people can understand who he really is. To clear up all those falsehoods."

"You've always seemed like a reputable reporter, Miss Ritchi. So I'll make a deal with you. I'll share my experiences of Megamind as a child. But I want something in return. "

"How much money do you want?"

"I don't want money. I want information."

Roxanne raised her eyebrows.

"I'll tell you what happened in the school; what I observed, what I experienced. But I want to hear about _your_ experiences with Megamind, what _you_ think about him.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything," she replied eagerly. "Your impressions of him from the time you spent with him. Did you see any goodness in him, or did he just seem evil? Did he ever talk about why he went into a life of crime? Do you have any idea what's happened to him since he's seems to have dropped out of the public eye?"

"Don't want much, do you?" Roxanne retorted sarcastically.

Feeling defensive, she went on the attack. "Why are you doing this book about Blue- I mean Megamind? Is it just for the money? Or to advance your career?"

Roxanne examined the woman across from her, considering. "You still think of him that way, don't you? As Blue, as the child you knew in school."

"Yes," she acknowledged, and was embarrassed to feel the tears welling. "You must think I'm crazy," she added, dabbing at her eyes.

"No, I think you truly care about him. … I thought I was the only woman who did. I now see I'm not alone."

"And in way do you care about him, Miss Ritchi?" she asked curiously.

Her cool reporter façade slipped for a moment, and the expression on her face revealed more than she had planned to share.

Cynthia's eyes opened wide, her mouth in an 'O.'

"You're involved with him, _romantically_ involved with him?"

"I'm supposed to be asking the questions here," Roxanne prevaricated with a blush.

"And the reason he's disappeared from sight: does it has something to do with giving up his criminal behavior?"

Roxanne looked into Cynthia's eyes and debated internally. She thought to herself that this was a risk, but this woman apparently had kept her own history with Megamind quiet for all these years: that implied a certain loyalty to him, as well as an ability to keep confidences. Roxanne made her decision. "I'm assuming I can trust you to keep all of this secret for now?"

"Yes, yes, of course," Cynthia assured her.

"Alright. Yes, we are involved, as you say, romantically. And I'm helping Megamind write his memoir as part of a plan for him to give up his life of crime and be able to remain out of prison."

"How wonderful! I'm so happy for him. You're his angel."

"I'm his what?"

"Sorry. That's just the way I think of it, the way I labeled it in my head. I prayed that God would send someone, a kind of angel, to help him reconnect with the good inside him, and that's what you've done. Thank you. " Smiling, she added, "I'll tell you anything you want to know. It's the least I owe Blue."

* * *

><p>Roxanne offered to set up a meeting with Megamind for her. She was nervous even though Roxanne had assured her he held no ill feelings toward her.<p>

Megamind looked up when he heard the door to Roxanne's apartment open. He examined the face of the woman accompanying Roxanne, looking for a resemblance to the child he had known in school. Of course she was different- she was an adult now- but he recognized facial features like her eyes, and the shape of her chin and nose. But when she saw him and smiled- that was when she most looked like the girl he remembered.

"Hello, Blue- oh, I'm sorry, you go by Megamind now. Of course I know that. I just tend to think of you by the old name. I think Megamind was a better choice than Superbrain, by the way."

Megamind commented, "And Roxanne tells me you go by Cynthia now."

"Yes. I shed Cindy back in high school. Well, except for my parents, brother and sister. They'll never change, but that's OK."

"You decided to not use Elizabeth or Isabella?"

"You remembered. Of course you would. No, I decided my birth name was good enough. ... Uhm, how's Min?"

"He's good. He goes by Minion these days. "

"So we all have different names now."

Roxanne suggested they sit on the couch. As they did so, Cynthia offered, "I expect this must seem weird to you. I must look like a complete stranger. It's been so long. I've changed a lot."

"Not completely. I see the resemblance. It's not a fair test since I knew you were coming, but I believe I would have recognized you anyway."

"Really? Well, even if you hadn't been in the news all those years, I would still recognize you. You haven't changed that much. Still blue skinned, big-headed, bald and skinny. But your wardrobe's much better now."

After a pause, she said, "I brought something to show you." Opening her brief case she took out three scrap books. She laid them on the coffee table and flipped them opening randomly, displaying the articles about Megamind and Metro Man. "I've followed your… career- if you can call it that. I never stopped thinking about you, or caring about you. And I never stopped feeling guilty for not being a better friend. For not standing up to Wayne and the other kids. And for not trying to keep in contact." The tears were forming in her eyes. "I'm so sorry for what happened at the school. Can you ever forgive me?"

"I'm surprised that you… remembered me in that way. I, on the other hand tried, very hard to _forget_ you since I lost your friendship-because I left the school, not because I felt you betrayed me. That loss…hurt. But in forgetting about you, I also forgot what you taught me- that not all humans were untrustworthy and rejecting, and that someone could like me, accept me, for myself. It took Roxanne to remind me of that."

"So am I forgiven?"

"I told you back then that that I forgave you. Not that I believed you really needed to be forgiven. I blamed Wayne, not you."

Now the tears were trickling down her cheeks. "Thank you," she exclaimed as she threw her arms around him.

At first he stiffened in shock. This was only the second person who had ever hugged Megamind as an adult. He looked in bewilderment at Roxanne, who smiled at him, nodded, and made an enclosing gesture with her arms. Slowly, awkwardly, he embraced the crying woman, reminding himself that, although he had not seen her in many years, she was- still- his friend.

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><p><strong>AUTHOR NOTE:<strong> Thanks to nineteennintytwo for beta reading and the suggestion for an epilogue, and to all those who posted reviews of this story: Shakka DV, VampsMoonAngel, sakiko of soleana, Cloaked Irken, rmroxs, Karen B. Jones, sakiko of soleana, thablueGRRL , and RemmyBlack . It's always so nice to get feedback.

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